NHL Prospect Watch: Landon DuPont Looks Smashing In NCAA Debut, Which CHL Players Are Standing Out?

ANN ARBOR, MICH. - It's going to be a monster NCAA season, and one of the top players in the spotlight is Michigan freshman Landon DuPont. The defenseman and early favorite to go first in the 2027 NHL draft just made his debut with the Wolverines, and I was in the building to witness it.

And let me say, DuPont was even better than I expected. For a 17-year-old coming out of major junior, DuPont was the smartest player on the ice in Michigan's 7-2 win over Bowling Green. He tallied two assists, but everything else he did on the ice was just as impressive.

"Just a lot of speed and skill," said teammate (and roommate) J.P. Hurlbert, the Detroit Red Wings first-rounder. "He's a really smart hockey player, as well. He's got all the attributes you look for. All the hype is worth it."

DuPont's skating is excellent, and his processing of the play is elite. He'll take that extra split second to make the right pass, and he excels at making the first forechecker miss when he has the puck. Even in his first college game, he facilitated great zone exits and used his skills to get teammates out of trouble. 

But going back to his skating, it really is impressive. At one point, he caught up to a Bowling Green puck-carrier while skating backwards, then closed the gap to snuff out the possibility of an offensive chance against.

Because Michigan dressed seven defensemen, DuPont played with several partners, though he typically paired with Edmonton Oilers pick Asher Barnett. The kid also played on the top power-play unit, a loaded five that included Michael Hage (MTL), Jayden Perron (CAR), Will Horcoff (PIT), and fellow D-man Henry Mews (CGY).

"Everyone on our team can play and make plays," DuPont said. "That's why our team is so good. We all play connected, and we're all selfless out there. It's going to be a fun year."

The phenom also gets to do so with a storied program at a classic NCAA barn, Yost Arena.

"It was pretty cool," DuPont said. "Playing at home in a rink like this with the student section it has, I remember looking around in warm-ups and just being so excited to get out there."

It's just the first of many games for DuPont and the Wolverines, but Game 1 was a very good sign for a team that fell painfully short of the NCAA final last season.

Hage and Perron looked deadly up front for the Wolverines, and Mews is a great story, playing his first game in about 10 months since he hurt his knee as a freshman last year. And last year's finish has already been a motivator around the room.

"We talk about it a lot," DuPont said. "Even though we weren't (all) on the team last year, we still feel that hurt for them and the coaches, knowing they were so close. Seeing how motivated they are pushes us freshmen to try and up the bar and be the difference this year."

Yes, the major junior season has already been going on for a couple of weeks, but only now am I truly paying attention. Why? Because everybody who's going to be back is back (give or take maybe a player or two).

With the NHL underway, all the juniors who had long stays at training camp are back in the mix, so the CHL is at full strength. The interesting thing will be to see who keeps up their hot starts.

Will OHL Saginaw's Dima Zhilkin (2027) keep tearing it up offensively? There's a pretty good chance. But what about the Soo's Ryan Kaczinski (2027)? We could have a surprise star there.

Out in the WHL, Saskatoon Blades have dominated the scoring race early, with Hunter Laing (CGY), Brayden Klimpke (MTL), and Cooper Williams (TOR). It'll be fun to see if they can maintain their pace, too.

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